"Captain Beidou?!"
At Liyue Harbor, Cai Zihao, who was carrying large barrels of fish, had just walked out of the dock area when he saw Beidou approaching. His eyes widened instantly, an expression of pure shock plastered on his face.
He was actually seeing the legendary Captain of the Crux Fleet—Beidou!
"Hello there."
Seeing Cai Zihao shout out in surprise, Beidou—who was walking with Huixing, Qianyan, and Furong—smiled and greeted him.
She glanced at the barrels Cai Zihao was carrying. They were brimming with fat, lively fish. She immediately knew this fisherman had an excellent harvest today.
She also knew that ordinary fishermen couldn't catch this many fish.
"Hello, Captain Beidou!"
Cai Zihao was ecstatic.
The legendary Captain Beidou had greeted him! He was so excited he could barely stand.
To all the fishermen, Captain Beidou was an idol.
"Haha."
Seeing Cai Zihao's excitement, Beidou laughed heartily. "Looks like you had a great catch today. Congratulations."
"Thank you, Captain Beidou!"
Cai Zihao thanked her enthusiastically.
Captain Beidou praised him!
Even though he didn't know why she was back in Liyue, being able to greet her made him incredibly happy.
He watched Beidou walk further away before he picked up his barrels again and continued toward the market.
"Captain Beidou, are we really going to drop the Steam Battleship right here at the harbor?"
Furong, stepping onto the pier, looked at the approaching waterline hesitantly. "Shouldn't we wait until we're back on The Alcor to test it?"
"What is there to hide?"
Beidou chuckled, shaking her head. "If there's anything we don't understand, we can still run back and ask the Shopkeeper. besides, aren't you excited about this steam ship? Seeing it sooner is better, right?"
"Mhm, yeah, true."
Furong's eyes lit up. As always, the Captain was right.
"Captain Beidou!"
"Good afternoon, Captain!"
...
As Beidou walked deeper into the harbor, sailors, dockworkers, and fishermen all called out excitedly.
Beidou nodded to them with a smile as she made her way to the end of the pier.
A few seconds later, she stood at the edge.
She pulled the miniature Steam Battleship she had obtained from the Jar Shop out of her pocket. Without hesitation, she tossed it into the water in front of her.
The Shopkeeper had said it would revert to its original form upon contact with seawater.
She was ready.
"Eh? What is Captain Beidou doing?"
"I think I saw her throw something."
"I saw it too. I thought she was leaving, but she just tossed something into the harbor."
...
Beidou's actions caught the attention of every sailor and worker nearby.
They didn't understand what she was doing.
But a split second later, their eyes bulged out of their skulls.
"Holy sh*t!"
On the surface of the water, the tiny toy Beidou had thrown began to expand rapidly.
From palm-sized to person-sized. Then one meter, two meters, three meters... it grew exponentially.
In just a few seconds, a colossal steam battleship dominated the harbor.
BOOM!
As the ship snapped into its full size, the displacement caused a massive wave to surge outward, like a mini-tsunami crashing toward the pier.
CRACK!
A sharp, thunderous sound rang out.
A flash of purple blade-light, laced with lightning, sliced through the air. Beidou drew her Zanpakutō and shattered the incoming wave with a single strike!
Splash.
The water rained down like a heavy downpour. Beidou sheathed her sword, standing amidst the falling water, completely unbothered by getting wet. Her eyes were glued to the massive steel beast in front of her.
It was a magnificent ship of steel. Strange, complex machinery covered the deck. It looked exactly like the model she held, but now magnified to a terrifying scale.
Standing before it, Beidou felt small. But she also felt awestruck.
It was luxurious. It was spectacular.
Words failed her.
Compared to this steel leviathan, The Alcor felt like a beggar meeting a king. The difference in status was palpable.
Hiss.
Beidou gasped.
Now she understood why Felix said this item was incredibly valuable.
Holding the miniature version hadn't felt like much. But seeing it full-sized... the visual impact was overwhelming.
Beside her, Qianyan, Furong, and Huixing stood frozen, their jaws on the floor.
And they weren't alone. Every sailor, worker, and fisherman in Liyue Harbor stared in horror and amazement.
This scene defied their imagination.
The sudden wave, the giant steel ship... it was unbelievable.
Gulp.
It took a long time for someone to find their voice.
"Wh... what is that thing?" someone stammered.
"I... I didn't see it wrong, right? Captain Beidou threw something, and then... this appeared?!"
"Is that a ship?"
"Holy sht! Holy sht!"
"Is that a ship? It's so cool! Oh my Archons, look at the hull! It's made of steel! How does a ship made of that much metal float?"
"And the stuff on deck! I don't recognize any of it!"
"That can't be a ship. Ships don't look like that!"
"What else could it be? It's floating! But holy crap, it's so cool!"
"I saw it with my own eyes! Beidou threw a tiny object, and it turned into this! A portable ship?! How is that possible?"
"This isn't just a ship anymore. I've seen The Alcor from a distance, but its scale and design are nothing compared to this steel monster."
"Yeah. It's fully steel. And it hasn't sunk. How?!"
"Is this Captain Beidou's secret treasure? Why haven't we heard of it before? Isn't the Crux's flagship The Alcor?"
"Maybe we should ask her? She definitely knows!"
"Wait... did you guys realize? She carried a ship in her pocket. Is that even possible?"
"Holy crap!"
...
Liyue Harbor was in uproar.
Everyone stared dumbfounded at the Steam Battleship docked at the pier.
It was absurd.
They had never seen a ship like this. And the fact that it grew from a pocket-sized toy shattered their worldview.
Beidou, standing before the ship, slowly composed herself, though her heart was still pounding like a drum.
Compared to this, The Alcor really was... outdated.
Gulp.
Furong swallowed hard. "Captain... should we go aboard and take a look?"
"The Shopkeeper called it a 'Steam Battleship'," Huixing took a deep breath. "Maybe 'Battleship' implies something higher tier than just a ship."
Steam Battleship.
When Beidou pulled it, they had focused on "Steam" and ignored "Battleship." They thought it was just a boat.
Seeing it now, fully realized... the sheer scale was terrifying.
Only by facing it directly could you feel the visual impact!
"Yes! Let's go up!"
Beidou's eyes shone with excitement.
She didn't know how a steel ship floated. But seeing its sleek, aggressive form, knowing it was hers... she was ecstatic.
This was her Steam Battleship!
Thinking about captaining this beast made her tremble with joy.
It was domineering. It was advanced.
She couldn't find the right words, so "advanced" had to do.
It was like comparing a rotting rowboat to The Alcor.
Now, The Alcor was the rowboat.
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